


Joyous Joel Maisel

by Leafus



Category: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bi Lenny Bruce, First of its kind?, M/M, Questioning Joel Maisel, might be a one shot, might continue
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-13 18:26:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18474583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leafus/pseuds/Leafus
Summary: A short what-if Joel was the one who met Lenny Bruce and was a good comic.





	Joyous Joel Maisel

**Author's Note:**

> I’m both surprised and unsurprised no one but me put these two together. To be frank, I just find both the actors to hot and thought it would be interesting to pair them up. I may or may not (probably not) continue this, no idea really. I’m terrible with commitment.
> 
> Anyways, y’all enjoy.

“And so I says to her as I’m walking out the door, don’t wait up!” Joel says as the crowd roars with laughter, “Thank you, thank you, have a wonderful night everyone.”

Joel steps off the stage and sits back down at the small bar room table across from Lenny whose jaw is on the floor and whose eyes are wide as can be and fixated on Joel. “What, did I mess up somewhere?” Joel asks, looking back at Lenny with defensive disbelief. 

“The band,” Lenny stammers out. 

“The what?” Joel replies, confused.

“You were supposed to introduce the band,” Lenny half-heartedly gestures towards the band members across the room looking back at Joel and chuckling amongst themselves.

“Oh, shit,” Joel lets out, standing up and rushing back on the stage “Oh and give it up folks, here’s our lovely band for the evening!” Joel stammers into the mic before hopping back off stage to more applause.

“Holy smokes, you are good,” Lenny laughs as soon as Joel sits back down in his seat, “What was your name again, Joe Manson?”

“No it’s Joel Maisel,” he shakes his head smiling, “and thank you.”

“No thank you, Joel. Here I thought this schtick was getting stale, now you come along and spice things up. I like it, no, I love it,” Lenny says, pulling a joint from his jacket pocket, “Hey, you uh wanna share this with me out back?”

“Absolutely.” Lenny and Joel both stand up, leaving a few bucks on the table as tip and head towards the exit in the back behind the kitchen.

“So I haven’t seen you round before, Joel, how long you been working?” Lenny asks, holding the joint between his lips as he fumbles with lighting the lighter against the breeze blowing down the empty alleyway.

“Oh I’m not official or anything, I just do this as a hobby for now, but my dream was always to become a comic,” Joel says, holding his hands out to shield the lighter from the wind, allowing Lenny to light it.

“Well then for an amateur hobbyist you’re not half bad,” Lenny chuckles, taking a long drag before passing the joint to Joel.

“Nah, that wasn’t really a bit, that was just me letting off some steam,” Joel shrugs the compliment off, taking a long drag of the joint before choking on the smoke and coughing, “Shit, haven’t done this since college.”

“You’re joking, you mean that stuff about the broad was real? Ya see, this is why you don’t marry. Everyone’s good for something, hell, few of them are good for a certain something, if you catch my drift,” Lenny says, winking at Joel as he takes the joint back, “But no one’s good for marrying. Not a one.”

“Well now hang on, that’s not true of Midge. Midge she -- she’s a nice girl; helluva girl, but I just felt held back or something, ya know? It ain’t even the kids, Ethan, I love ‘im, and Esther, I’d kill for, ya know, but with Midge and I, I don’t know. Sometimes what was there just isn’t there anymore, and then you wonder why you’re still around.”

“I don’t know about a single thing you’re talking ‘bout,” Lenny chokes on a laugh as he blows smoke in Joel’s face, “But what it sounds like to an outsider like me, Joely, is you need to get laid.”

“Maybe you’re right, but not tonight. Besides, what girl’s gonna wanna piece of me like this?” Joel jests, referring down to his dirty slacks and wrinkled shirt.

“Mmm, I don’t know about no girl, but I can think of a few other contenders,” Lenny wags his eyes suggestively, passing the joint back to Joel.

“Nah, I ain’t no queer, no offense,” Joel says, hesitantly taking a step back, taking a long drag of the joint before trying and failing to blow out a ring.

“None taken,” Lenny says, looking down bashfully, “‘Course, you weren’t a comic before tonight. You weren’t a bachelor before tonight, who’s to say tonight’s not the night for more things you aren’t but will be?”

“Eh, I don’t know ‘bout that,” Joel says, taking a drag before handing it back, uncomfortably shifting back and forth on his feet.

“My ma always told me,” He pauses to take a drag from the joint, “‘See, Lenny, don’t go knockin’ something unless you’ve tried it, that’s how I met your father’, and I’d say ‘But ma, you and dad split years ago!’ and she’d go ‘Don’t talk back to your mother, now finish your peas’,” Lenny said, giggling gleefully as he bends over with his hands on his knees.

“Yeah, I think you might’ve had enough of this, buddy,” Joel chuckles lightly as he snatches the joint from Lenny’s hand.

“But seriously,” Lenny says, standing back up and wiping his eyes, “My hotel room‘s but a short jaunt thataway and it’s open if you’re wanting.”

Joel hesitates for a minute, mulling the idea over in his head which feels a lot fuzzier than he’s used to. “Nah, no. I think I’m just gonna grab a cab home, thanks though,” Joel says, throwing the rest of the joint on the ground.

“Well at least come by and have a drink, hell, we gotta celebrate your amazing performance!” Lenny says, shaking Joel’s shoulder in excitement.

“Okay okay, one drink,” Joel holds one finger out to emphasize.

“Of course, of course, can’t have too much fun, can we?” Lenny teases, slapping Joel’s back as he leads him down the street, “So what are your plans now that you’re flying solo?”

“Oh, I don’t know, I’ll probably move in with my pal Archie and his wife until I figure out a more permanent solution. I still have my job so that’s something,” Joel sighs, thinking about the lashing he’ll incur on poor Archie from Imogene.

“Ah, ya see, silver lining to everything. ‘Course it sounds like your pal Archie’s already got his dancing partner, and three’s really more of a crowd, don't cha think?” Lenny argues, stopping in front of the hotel.

“Well where else do you suppose I should stay, I can’t very well stay with Midge after today, now can I?” Joel snaps.

“Hey, hey, I’m just saying you oughta find yourself a bedroom for one. Or, a bedroom for two, eh?” He says, jokingly jabbing his elbow into Joel’s side.

“It’s only temporary. I’m not going to be staying at Archie’s forever. Once I find my own place I’ll be outta their hair,” Joel says, ignoring the quip.

“Suit yourself, listen I gotta go have a word with the very nice-lookin’ lady at the front desk there. Will only be but a moment,” Lenny winks at Joel before sauntering off towards the front desk girl who looks flustered the moment she notices Lenny Bruce approaching her.


End file.
